5 foods to try in Portugal

Who doesn’t love food? And who doesn’t love Portugal? Portugal and food together make this amazing combination called – surprise – Portuguese food. If you travel to Portugal, make sure to try these five foods or you’ll miss out.

1. Pastel de nataYou can find these sweet pastries on every second corner and in every single patisserie. These pastries are made of a flaky dough and its center is filled with a sweet custard mixture. If you travel to Lisbon, make sure to try these pastries at Pasteis de Belem, one of the oldest pastry shops in Lisbon.

2. GinjinahAdmittedly, this isn’t a food but definitely worth a try. Ginjinah is more common in Lisbon than in Porto, and you can find it everywhere. Ginjinah is a very strong cherry liquor that is often served in small chocolate cups – it is Portugal’s go-to alcohol.

3. Caldo VerdeThis soup is one of the official national dishes of Portugal. Caldo Verde is a variation of potato soup: Chouriço (a pork sausage) is added to the broth, giving it a distinct flavor. It is served with corn bread and some more Chouriço.

4. BacalhauBacalhau – another national dish – is essentially codfish. The fish is usually dried and salted and on the menu of every restaurant in Portugal. Bacalhau is even eaten for christmas – in all of Portugal, no other fish is as popular as codfish.

5. Folar de ChavesYou can find this in every patisserie and might at first wonder what it is. It looks like a big soft loaf of bread, but what you can’t see is that it is filled with meat. Not every bakery uses the same kind of meat, so you can find anything from Chouriço- to pork- and beef-bread.